1. Field of the Invention
Certain embodiments of the present invention are directed generally to amplifiers that may be included in electronic circuits that are commonly used in telecommunications devices. Certain other embodiments of the present invention are directed generally at methods of operating telecommunications devices with such amplifiers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Amplifiers are electronic components that are commonly included in a variety of electronic circuits, some of which are included in currently-available telecommunications devices. For example, amplifiers are often included in Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and/or Transmitted Signal Strength Indicator (TSSI) circuits, where amplification of signals received by a telecommunications device is desired and/or required for proper operation of the device.
In currently-available telecommunications devices, once a Radio Frequency (RF) signal has been received, for example, from another device, the RF signal is typically amplified to ensure that the signal is of sufficient strength to be processed by the receiving device. Then, the Alternating Current (AC) component of the received RF signal is typically down-converted from RF to an Intermediate Frequency (IF) that may more easily be processed. This down-conversion is commonly performed using an IQ mixer.
Once the frequency of the AC component of the received signal has been down-converted, the AC component is forwarded to the above-mentioned RSSI and/or TSSI circuits from the IQ mixer as two separate signals: an I signal, and a Q signal, which is 90° out-of-phase with the I signal. In order to accommodate these separate signals, currently-available RSSI and TSSI circuits provide separate paths for each. In other words, once input into a currently-available RSSI or TSSI circuit, the I and the Q signal are separately amplified, rectified, and otherwise processed.
One substantial disadvantage of providing separate paths for each signal that is input into a signal strength indicator circuit is that the separate components in each path make the circuit larger. Hence, if the circuit is included on a chip in a telecommunication device, the circuit covers a large area on the chip, leaving less area for other devices to be included on the chip.
Another substantial disadvantage of providing separate paths is that, since twice as many electronic components are needed to form two paths than one, the circuit with two paths requires a relatively large amount of power to operate. In addition, this additional power consumption often requires more complex cooling. Hence, at least in view of the above, currently-available signal strength indicator circuits are less than ideal for inclusion in telecommunications devices.